Philosophy 6: Logic in Practice   

Pierce College

Department of History, Philosophy, & Sociology

Group Exercise for Chapter 3 "Evaluating Inductive Arguments and Probabilistic and Statistical Fallacies," § 3 "Analogical Arguments"

https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/BookDetail.aspx?bookId=457

(Notes on the importance of group exercises.) 

Group Work Summary: Each group creates an analogical argument. 

Step 1 (ten minutes): Individually, create an analogy between two things, a well-known thing and a thing that is less well known, following the sub-steps below. 

1a) Imagine that you will end up trying to convince someone that the less well-known thing is actually like the well-known thing in some significant or controversial respect.

1b) Identify _____ number of characteristics that are shared by both things (trying to include both insignificant, and significant shared characteristics, with an emphasis on the significant characteristics). 

1c) Identify a further, significant or controversial characteristic found in the well-known thing that you could argue is also found in the less well-known thing. 

1d) In light of all of the above, craft an analogical argument to convince someone that the less well-known thing is actually like the well-known thing, clearly distinguishing between your premise(s) and conclusion. 

Step 2 (ten minutes):  In groups, share your responses to 1a)-1c), then present your analogical arguments from 1d). 

Step 3 (ten minutes):  In groups, identify your group's exemplar analogical argument.  Then produce an instance of discounting (from Chapter 1) by highlighting an irrelevant or insignificant dis-analogy between your argument's well-known and less well-known things. 

Step 4 (ten minutes):  Each group presents their group's analogical argument.